January 2018

Probiotics
vs. Prebiotics —
What You Need to Know
by Natasha Trenev
Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms
which when administered
in adequate amounts confer a health
benefit on the host,” or, as we like
to think of them, simply beneficial
microbes, most often of the bacterial
kind. Prebiotics are defined as “a
substrate that is selectively utilized
by host microorganisms conferring a
health benefit,” or simply thought of
as the food source for the probiotics.
Prebiotics are a class of simple carbohydrates
that are non-digestible
by humans and are found naturally
in foods such as leeks, asparagus,
chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic,
onion, wheat, banana, oats, as well as
soybean. However, you would need
to consume a large quantity of these
foods for them to have any useful
prebiotic effect.
Prebiotics are designed to feed the
probiotic supplements and encourage
their growth and to feed the
bacteria already found in our gut. It
sounds like it makes common sense to
combine them so you have the total
package of the probiotics and the
food they need to survive and thrive.
Unfortunately, that’s only half of the
story.
Prebiotics Feed the ‘Bad’ Bacteria, Too
Prebiotics are designed to provide the
beneficial bacteria in your GI tract
with a food substance that encourages
their growth. However, when you
take a prebiotic, you have no control
over which bacteria are benefiting and
proliferating because of it. Therefore,
you may be feeding the bad bacteria
along with the good bacteria.
Scientific evidence has shown that by
taking a prebiotic, we are also encouraging
yeast growth and the growth
of potentially harmful bacteria such
as Klebsiella, E. coli, and Salmonella.
Klebsiella has been identified as one
of the “big three” gram-negative
pathogenic bacteria with growing
antibiotic resistance in the United
States and abroad.
If the balance of bacteria in your gut
is already unhealthy and skewed in
favor of bad or potentially pathogenic
bacteria, taking a prebiotic may just
help these species proliferate and
make the balance worse.
Prebiotic Side Effects Can Be an Issue
In addition, studies have shown that
one commonly used prebiotic known
as Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) actually
can impair the intestinal barrier
(this is exactly what most people are
trying to prevent by taking probiotics
in the first place). And you might be
shocked to know that the list of side
effects associated with FOS include
diarrhea, abdominal rumbling, bloating,
cramping and excessive flatulence.
Many people take probiotics to help
with digestive upsets, so why would
they want to add on a prebiotic with
known side effects like this?
Another commonly used prebiotic
is called inulin. Inulin is a complex
sugar found and extracted from the
roots of various plants. Researchers
from the University of Helsinki and
the University of Montana studied
mice fed with inulin prebiotic diets,
and discovered shifts in the total
bacterial community, including the
discovery of previously unknown
Continued On Page 6
4 January 2018 • www.DevelopingHealthyHabits.com